


Tomorrow is Another Day

by ouroborosnakes



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Ficlet, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27605230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ouroborosnakes/pseuds/ouroborosnakes
Summary: With a lit cigarette tucked between his index and middle fingers, Snake looks beyond the horizon and to something he can’t reach.
Relationships: Otacon/Solid Snake
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	Tomorrow is Another Day

**Author's Note:**

> i've been struggling with writer's block but my birthday was the other day so this is something small about birthdays and being a twin as a sort of vent.

With a lit cigarette tucked between his index and middle fingers, Snake looks beyond the horizon and to something he can’t reach. Beside him, Otacon watches, silently, not wanting to disturb the eerily tranquil expression on the man’s hardened face and continues to sip his coffee.

“Do you know what today is, Otacon?” The sudden question startles him slightly, darting his eyes around him to find some sort of indicator of the date. “My birthday,” Snake concludes, stopping Otacon from his frantic internal distress. 

“Oh!” Though he almost says it on instinct, something about Snake’s tone keeps Otacon from adding _happy birthday!_ and slips into silence. 

“It’s his birthday too, huh?” Comes the quiet addition. 

“Oh. Yeah, I guess it is.” Tapping the ash away without pulling a drag, Snake stares down at his feet, dropping the cigarette and crushing it beneath his heel. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he slips down on the bench they were occupying. There was no one in the park they were currently loitering in, having grabbed coffee after pulling an all-nighter together as the sun just barely lit up the morning sky, grass still dewy.

“How, uh, how old are you now?” Rolling his head back, Snake squints over at Otacon, who tightens his fingers around his styrofoam cup. “Just trying to lighten the mood a little.”

“Does it matter?”

“You’ve never mentioned your birthday before.”

“Birthdays stop being fun the older you get.” 

“Yeah. I just don’t remember you mentioning it last year. Why now?” With a shrug, Snake corrects his posture, a frown still set deep on his lips, though it lifts a little as he speaks.

“It’s a nice morning. Despite everything, it’s a shame he can’t see it.” Not quite sure how to respond, Otacon drinks the last of his coffee and stares out, trying to see what Snake meant.

Nothing made this morning any more grandiose than the next, but something in Snake’s voice carried weight. Knowing he could never understand how Snake felt about his twin, Otacon cautiously extends his hand and puts it atop of Snake’s balled fist, closing his eyes and feeling the other slowly loosen up, as if melting under the sun as it rose in the sky.

* * *

After finally making their way back to their current hideout, Snake opted to take a powernap, Otacon showering. Once he confirmed Snake was asleep, he allocated enough time to run down to the corner store and grab a few groceries, then make it back before Snake woke up. 

“Aren’t you tired?” Snake asks, stifling a yawn, obviously not well rested but not wanting to waste the day away. Otacon, on the other hand, had no issue doing so, and nodded in agreement.

“I was waiting for you. Now, before you get mad,” he starts, getting up from where he’d been sitting on the sofa, “consider this a poor man’s attempt at something nice.” Confused, Snake follows Otacon into the kitchen, though he obediently turns around after being requested to do so. 

“Okay, you can turn back around.” When he does, he can see two corner-store donuts on two styrofoam plates and a pale yellow colored envelope between them. “Oh, wait, hold on. Where are your cigarettes?” Pulling out the box from his back pocket, Otacon fishes out the lighter and flicks it on, motioning for Snake to come closer. “Blow your candle out.” Laughing in disbelief, Snake does so, Otacon then clapping with a grin. 

“You didn’t have to do this,” Snake says. Though he’s grateful, there is still a level of discomfort to his body language. 

“Birthday schmirthday.” Passing over the card, Snake opens it and laughs upon reading it. A cartoon snake in the shape of a 6 with a pointed hat that reads ‘ _It’s your birthday! Time to celebrate the ssssssspecial boy!_ ’ on the inside, though Otacon had crossed out ‘birthday’ and wrote in ‘Monday.’ There was also a crudely drawn pack of cigarettes, which Otacon explained.

“I didn’t grab enough cash with me to buy another pack. Those are _expensive_ , even with cheap donuts and a card.” With the card in one hand, Snake pulls Otacon towards him with the other in an embrace, sighing against him. 

“Thank you,” he mumbles, Otacon a little awkwardly rubbing his back, not expecting that sort of response. 

“Of course. I’m glad you enjoyed it.” After ending the hug, they eat a breakfast of quality that matches its cheap price. Otacon offers to get something better, Snake insisting it was fine and he could cook an actual breakfast. 

Thinking it over for a moment, Otacon takes the card and scribbles something small on the cover. In front of the 6, he had written ‘200’. 

“For when we do this next year,” he clarifies, “we’ll know this one is from 2006.” With a grin that lights up his face, Snake hooks his elbow around Otacon’s neck, kissing him square on the mouth and bumps their noses together before picking up and pitching their plates. Otacon, in complete shock, opens and closes his mouth a few times before settling on not saying anything, reading over the card a couple more times with a small smile. 

**Author's Note:**

> also i guess for clarification i have a very good relationship with my twin, lol, but i was thinking about the significance that's had on my life and how celebrating a birthday after knowing you had killed your twin must affect the way you'd feel about it but i didn't make it as sad as i originally intended. thanks for reading!


End file.
